Computer Programming at Saint Johns River State College

A debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.30 suggests manageable student loans, but the full picture here is murky. This certificate program's outcomes are estimated from national peers because Saint Johns River State College's graduate cohort was too small for the DOE to publish actual data. That $43,727 first-year earnings figure comes from the national median for similar programs, while Florida's own median for computer programming certificates sits at just $16,000—a striking gap that should concern anyone banking on national averages applying locally.

The state benchmark raises real questions about how programming certificates translate to Florida's job market. With 34 schools offering this credential in Florida and reported outcomes drastically lower than national figures, it's possible that local employers value these shorter credentials differently, or that many graduates struggle to land programming roles immediately. The estimated $13,274 in debt seems reasonable in isolation, but only if earnings align more closely with national norms than state data suggests.

Without actual outcomes from this specific program, you're essentially betting that Saint Johns River State College's graduates will buck Florida's trend and perform more like the national average. That's a significant assumption. Before committing, your child should connect with recent alumni directly to understand where they actually landed and what they're earning—the state data suggests the real outcomes could be far less promising than these estimates indicate.